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The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business reporter
EXPORT development and promotion agency, ZimTrade, is scaling up collaborations with farmers to boost local production and exports of the globally highly sought-after garlic because of its health benefits.
In its latest monthly newsletter, ZimTrade said in line with the country’s devolution agenda the body was developing clusters across all the provinces.
“In line with Zimbabwe’s devolution agenda, ZimTrade is developing clusters across all provinces, focusing on products and services that are easy to produce. To complement the Government’s agenda, ZimTrade is taking garlic production nationwide, with results expected to improve the contribution of rural communities to national exports,” read part of the newsletter.
The trade body said there was a major drive around establishing garlic clusters in all provinces, which is expected to boost exports from the product and improve the livelihoods of rural communities.
“The number of garlic small holder farmers is growing due to the increasing demand both locally and internationally because of its health benefits. Research has shown that garlic is one of the crops that smallholder farmers and rural communities can grow on a commercial scale,” said ZimTrade.
The organisation said it is working with farmers in the various provinces, to enable the nation to have adequate garlic throughout the year and much more necessary for the nation to export the product into the regional markets.
ZimTrade highlighted that due to its adaptability in various climates and ecological zones, the crop will be taken to all corners of the country.
Recently, a garlic export programme was launched in Gutu where ZimTrade pledged to support the community in building capacity and creating market linkages. Similar launch programmes were also held in Somabhula and Plumtree where garlic, ginger and turmeric demo plots were established.
“To augment the gains realised in Gutu, Somabhula and Plumtree, ZimTrade will be setting up demonstration plots in Wedza, Kadoma, Zvimba, Gweru and Plumtree. The purpose of these demonstration plots is to inculcate production knowhow to the farmers in the various districts.”
According to Trade Map there has been significant growth of world import bill of garlic over the past 20 years, from around US$500 million in 2001 to US$2.48 billion in 2019. Top importers of garlic last year were Indonesia (US$530 million), Brazil (US$225 million), United States of America (US$200 million), Malaysia (US$119 million), Russian Federation (US$76 million), Bangladesh (US$75 million), and Germany (US$70 million). Other top importers last year were also United Kingdom (US$61 million), Pakistan (58 million), Italy (US$55 million), France (US$55 million), United Arab Emirates (US$52 million), Saudi Arabia (US$52 million), Netherlands (US$51 million).
The total global imports of garlic grew by US$367 million in 2019, from US$2.1 billion recorded the previous year. In 2019, total quantities imported around the world stood at two million tonnes. ZimTrade noted that Zimbabwean exports of garlic were currently negligible. However, should the various districts embrace production of garlic, the excess supply can be exported regionally and even to international markets.
“Regionally there is potential to increase the exports of garlic exports to South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius, and Mozambique. In Zimbabwe garlic is grown in most parts of the country because it is less complex to manage as compared to other crops because it only requires soil moisture to be maintained during the entire period.”
There are about 600 varieties of garlic grown around the world. The two main types are hardneck (or topset) and softneck (artichoke garlic). Hardneck varieties sprout during early summer producing a tall, flower stalk.
ZimTrade said there was considerable variability in the size and number of bulbs produced by hardneck garlic varieties and they are more winter-hardy and produce larger cloves but have a shorter storage life than soft neck varieties.
It also noted that the softneck garlic usually found in supermarkets and often imported, has better storage traits and easier to braid than hardnecks.
“Softnecks grows best warm winter areas. Garlic can grow well in a wide range of climates, but extreme weather conditions affect optimum growth of the crop. Wet conditions are best for growing garlic thus growing it during the rainy season is ideal, though excess rainfall dampen crop production,” said ZimTrade.


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Many of us know the feeling: one day we're perfectly happy with the smartphone we've been using for the past 12 months, the next day, after we've seen a colleague showing off his new gadget, ours suddenly feels inadequate, bulky and slow. The good news is: we're not alone. According to Google Trends data first cited in a New York Times piece last year, Google searches for the term "iPhone slow" have peaked once every year since 2008 with each of those peaks occuring right after Apple released a new iPhone model.
There are two possible explanations for these spikes: the first one being the (psychological) phenomenon described above. Once people know a newer model of their phone is out, they suddenly feel like their old one is getting slow. The second explanation, and maybe the more plausible one, is that iPhone releases often coincide with the release of a new version of iOS, the iPhone's operating system. While Apple has always made a point of making iOS backward compatible with older iPhone models as long as possible, new operating systems tend not to run as smoothly on the aged hardware of older models. So it seems plausible that people would update to the new iOS version, encounter performance issues and turn to Google to find out what's wrong with their phones.
However, this "effect" seems to cool off pretty quickly as our chart illustrates. In the past years, it has never taken more than a couple of weeks for the search volume to come back to its previous level.

domain: news


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Verizon Wireless's first Windows Phone 7 smartphone, the HTC Trophy, will go on sale online May 26 for $149.99, after rebate.
The Trophy features a 1GHz processor, a 3.8-in touchscreen, and 16GB of onboard storage.
Trophy's processor and screen size are well below that of some other new smartphones, including the Droid X2 from Motorola that goes on sale today online at Verizon.
Still, the Trophy has a 5 megapixel camera that can capture HD video, which complements higher-than-average onboard storage capacity of 16GB.
Like all carriers, Verizon carries many types of smartphones and other mobile phones, usually stocking 30 to 40 different models at any one time. AT&T and T-Mobile were first to adopt Windows Phone 7 devices last fall on their widely-used global GSM networks.
Verizon will put the Trophy on its 3G CDMA network, but not on its faster LTE network. However, the HTC Trophy is described as a "global ready" device with voice and data service possible in more than 200 countries.
Windows Phone 7 devices have faced stiff competition from Android and iPhone smartphones, and Gartner said today that sales only reached 1.6 million units globally in the first quarter of 2011.
The biggest question for the Windows Phone OS is when Microsoft's partnership with Nokia will flower into an actual smartphone.
Some analysts believe potential buyers for the new HTC Trophy and other Windows Phone devices might hold off until the next Windows Phone OS version, codenamed Mango, is released or when Nokia ships a Windows Phone device.
The current Windows Phone 7 devices are upgradeable to Mango, but some experts believe many buyers will prefer to purchase a phone that runs the upgraded OS from the start.
The HTC Trophy will go on sale in Verizon stores on June 2, also for $149.99 after a $50 rebate with a two-year service plan. Nationwide talk and a data plan are required, starting at $70 a month.
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Photo by Fancycrave on Unsplash.
Anyone who’s ever bought, sold or rented real estate knows that the process isn’t friendly on first timers.
How do I find an agent? What do I need to know? How does the process work?
The real estate industry is muddy. The answers are buried in an outdated business model that has lagged behind other industries and their tech-fueled evolutions.
But things are changing. Recently, a Federal Court of Appeal decision upheld a ruling that requires the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) to remove restrictions on its members’ access to real estate data like historical listings and sale prices.
A few Canadian tech startups have finally taken the plunge amidst these regulatory shakeups. These new tech companies are beginning to offer platforms and services designed to address our concerns over one of the most important transactions of our lives.
2018 Real Estate Influencer Of The Year - Technology
More than any one company or individual, technology is this year’s real estate influencer of the year. Brandon Ware, founding partner of Verity Real Estate in Toronto, describes technology as one of the biggest changes in his life this year. The reason for the magnitude of the impact? Because the industry is ripe for change, as has been for a long time.
“For decades, many realtors used the 'proprietary' information angle as rationale for consumers to use them to buy, sell or lease property. With information readily available online in so many other industries, it was a delight to see the dissemination of real estate information via technology become available to the general public. It ensures that the realtors with whom buyers, sellers and tenants/landlords work are the consummate professionals they are claiming to be,” says Ware.
Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash.
A New Model: The Digital Real Estate Marketplace
One of those startups is Toronto-based nobul. They’ve created an open online real estate marketplace that connects buyers and sellers with realtors. You can compare agent fees, services and reviews to find the right fit.
Education is also a big part of what they offer with a glossary, FAQs and blog posts to help bring some clarity to the process.
“[Currently] real estate agents and brokerages have distinct advantages over consumers, including access to information, unclear service offerings and no real standards when it comes to pricing. By bringing the power of digital open marketplaces to one of the world’s oldest industries, nobul will affect real change for consumers,” says CEO Regan McGee.
Through the platform, consumers can choose to pay lower fees for fewer services or they can choose to pay higher fees for more services, depending on their needs. “The most important part is once the agreement is signed, the agent is accountable for providing the selected services for the agreed upon price. There should be no surprises,” says McGee.
Consumers simply select their preferences, then receive multiple proposals from different agents so they have greater choice in selecting the right fit.
In-house tech and development teams are continuously improving and evolving the platform. It’s currently available across Canada and will be available across all of North America by the end of 2019.
Toronto Tech Companies Changing The Game
Nobul is one of several innovative new platforms that are changing the balance of power in Canadian real estate, placing more control in the hands of buyers and sellers. Others include Toronto-based companies Justo, VR Listing and R-Labs.
Justo is another customer-centric online real estate marketplace that champions fairness and transparency for consumers.
VR Listing uses virtual reality to create immersive real estate marketing products like extremely realistic virtual staging and pre-construction mockups as well as detailed, high-quality interactive tours and unique visuals using drone footage. The company is helping provide richer information to consumers trying to make informed decisions.
R-Labs creates and incubates new tech-driven venture companies dedicated to disrupting the real estate industry. One of its initiatives, R-Hauz, enables existing real estate owners on avenues and laneways to create affordable housing in the “missing middle” category between single family homes and high rises in the city.
For example, those with properties that back onto a laneway can capitalize on newly approved City of Toronto Laneway Housing guidelines to add additional residential space or rental units above a garage with specially designed and affordable pre-fab models. The aim is to allow individuals—not just big development companies—to make a difference in the housing affordability crisis in Toronto.
Photo by Kobu Agency on Unsplash
These new tech hopefuls follow in the footsteps of giants like Uber and Airbnb that have helped to democratize different service industries.
Ware believes the catalyst of technology in real estate comes in delivering information to the general public, improving the quality of realtors, and making their jobs more efficient and effective.
As with any major technological and regulatory upheavals, there will be growing pains. But the gradual shift in power toward consumers ensures real estate’s tech-fueled innovators will continue changing the face of the industry for the foreseeable future.
We may not even recognize it in 5-10 years.


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Apple is cracking the whip, according the the Wall Street Journal.
The company has insisted for a while now that it will require folks selling magazine, newspaper and other subscriptions in its App Store to only sell content through in - app purchases. Why does Apple care? Because this way Apple gets to collect a 30 percent cut of any sale.
The Wall Street Journal App and Borders Kobo App and others had been skirting these rules - but now that Apple's cracking down. The WSJ and Kobo have caved. Both apps eliminated the option of clicking to a web page and buying subscriptions or content outside the Apple's store. Google, however, stood its ground and it's app for e-books has now disappeared from the App Store.


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Northern Kentucky took a little longer to join in on Kentucky’s bourbon boom, but it’s making a big splash now, says Jay Erisman.
Erisman is cofounder of New Riff Distilling in Newport, which was founded in 2014 with a name that pays homage to owner/co-founder Ken Lewis’ love of music and the new era of bourbon and bourbon tourism in the region that it’s helping to usher in.
New Riff’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Single Barrel Bourbon, Kentucky Wild Gin and rye are flowing, following an initial $11 million investment to get the distillery and event center up and running. Now, a new expansion is increasing output from 8,000 to 12,000 barrels annually, Erisman said, using the company’s own underground aquifer as a water source that fills with water trickling down from limestone-rich hillsides.
About 125 years ago, Cincinnati had an enormous presence in the whiskey industry, Erisman said. Newport, too, had some distilleries, but from that era, one ancient whiskey warehouse remains.
While many new distilleries are opening in the central part of the state, joining existing big names to compete for bourbon lovers’ loyalty, New Riff’s founders purposely wanted to locate apart from that action.
“We’re not a big fish … but we are bigger than many fish and we are kind of in a small pond,” Erisman said. “We were the biggest gig in this town, I suppose.”
New Riff has 43 full-time and 65 total employees across two Newport campuses—distillery and warehousing/packaging—and is distributed in 15 states, with Florida added just this year. Even when volumes are small on limited-release lines, Erisman said they always take care of their home market, Kentucky.
MeetNKY President Julie Kirkpatrick said NKY has 11 of the top 100 bourbon bars in America according to The Bourbon Review, and the area is starting to be known for its bourbon and its many outstanding breweries—50-plus in the region.
“We can definitely say that we’re spirited,” Kirkpatrick said.
The Bridgeview Box Park at Newport on the Levee was once home to Wooden Cask Brewing Co., which was founded in 2015 and has now moved to its own standalone site. Lexington-based West Sixth Brewing has moved into the box park and is “doing phenomenal,” she said.
New bars and restaurants like The Beeline, which opened at Newport on the Levee in 2021, focus on cocktails that use local honey and other products.
“We’re really excited about all the activity that’s happening on the Levee,” Kirkpatrick said.
The B-Line, Northern Kentucky’s lineup of craft distilleries, bourbon bars and bourbon-centric restaurants (thebline.com) added three new stops in 2021, linking people with even more cool bourbon destinations, she said.
Meanwhile, taprooms and brewhouses like The 859 Taproom & Grill and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, both in Florence, boast extensive beverage menus.
Northern Kentucky wineries are drawing visitors for their dry and sweet wines, charcuterie boards, majestic views and singular experiences with new, inventive drinks. Founded in 2016, family-owned 12 Mile Creek Winery in California, Ky., is home to Kentucky’s first jalapeno wine Bloody Mary, according to its website. And Redmans’ Farm & Winery in Morning View, a fifth-generation working family farm, creates its own wine slushies to cool and refresh.
Festivals, too, pay homage to the local libations. According to its Facebook page, Bacon Bourbon and Brew Festival Presented by T-Mobile will be at Newport Festival Park in July, featuring live entertainment, beer, bourbon cocktails, free bourbon tastings, trivia, rides, games and more.
And just over the river, the Cincy Beerfest will be held in April at Duke Energy Convention Center.
Visitors can learn more about Covington’s rich brewing history at the former Bavarian Brewery, now part of the Kenton County Government Center, via the Bavarian Brewery Exhibit, which has several artifacts on display and is open weekdays during regular business hours.
After visiting any of the area’s tourism sites or attending conventions or meetings here, sometimes you just want to unwind with a nice cold beer.
Jake Rouse, CEO and co-founder of Braxton Brewing Co., started the company with his brother Evan and father, Greg, in March 2015. Braxton now has three locations—Fort Mitchell, Covington and Cincinnati—that welcome between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors per week.
“Northern Kentucky and really the Greater Cincinnati area is a great spot for beer for a lot of reasons,” Rouse said. “Obviously, you have a great history of brewing.”
Prohibition ended Cincinnati’s early reign as a beer-producing destination, he said, but it’s undergoing a renaissance as young entrepreneurs try to create a new, special environment.
Output for Braxton Brewing Co. has increased year over year, he said, with the focus on creating as many consumer experiences as possible and innovating toward the future.
Braxton Labs serves as a site for much of that experimentation, as evidenced by Braxton’s release of Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Milk Stout, seltzers and other beyond-beer products, and Rouse is excited about the possibilities ahead.
“Overall, it’s going to be a really great year and aligning toward future growth,” Rouse said.
New Riff Distilling
Second Sight Spirits
Boone County Distilling Co.
Northern Row Brewery & Distillery, Knox Joseph Distillery at the OTR Stillhouse, Northside Distilling Co, Robert James Distillery
Union 42 Bourbon & Brew
Alexandria Brewing Co.
Braxton Brewing Co.
Braxton Covington; Braxton Labs in Bellevue; The Rooftop, Igloo Bar, Braxton Barrel House in Fort Mitchell; and Braxton Cincinnati
Bircus Brewing Co.
Wooden Cask Brewing Co.
Woodburn Brewing, 13 Below Brewery, Northern Row Brewery & Distillery, Rhinegeist
Bavarian Brewery Exhibit
Cincy Brew Bus
Distillery, winery and brewery tours in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, cincybrewbus.com
The B Line
The bourbon tour of Northern Kentucky, thebline.com
Tour with Us Ky
Brewing Heritage Trail Tours
Northern Kentucky Back Roads Wine Trail
Cincy Wine Wagon
Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour
Elk Creek Vineyards
Camp Springs Vineyard Winery
Seven Wells Vineyard & Winery
12 Mile Creek Winery
Lost Heritage Vineyard
Gunpowder Creek Vineyards
Redmans’ Farm & Winery
A Sampling of Cincinnati:
Revel OTR Urban Winery, Vinoklet Winery & Restaurant, Henke Winery, E&J Gallo Winery, The Skeleton Root
Click here to read more articles from Market Review of Northern Kentucky 2022-2023.


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Egypt’s trade deficit declined 24.6% during May, recording $3.34bn, down from $4.42bn during the same period last year, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).
It added in its monthly bulletin of foreign trade in May that Egypt’s exports hiked by 1.6% during May, reaching $2.68bn, up from $2.64bn for the same month of previous year.
The CAPMAS attributed the increase to the increased value of some commodities such as fertilisers by 27.5%, ready-made clothes by 2.8%, and plastics in their primary forms by 33.8%.
On the other hand, the CAPMAS noted that the exports value of some commodities decreased during May 2019, in comparison with the same period last year, including crude oil by 30.9%, fresh fruits by 43.3%, and furniture by 21.2%.
In terms of Egypt’s imports, the CAPMAS said that Egypt’s imports decreased by 14.8%, recording $6.01bn during May, versus $7.06bn for the same month of previous year, due to the decreased value of some commodities such as raw materials of iron or steel by 32.3%, plastics in their primary forms by 1.6%, organic and inorganic chemicals by 13.6%.
Meanwhile, imports of some commodities increased in May, versus the same month of previous year, such as soybean by 6.0%, meat by 2.3%, and wood and articles thereof by 4.4%.
Egypt’s government has been targeting achieving a great boost in its exports, but despite the improvements, the exports performance remains below its potential.
Compared to other middle-income countries that started at the same level or below in the early 2000s, Egypt’s exports-to-GDP ratio remains much lower, according to the latest World Bank’s Egypt Economic Monitor report in July.


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It’s that time of year. Holidays parties are over. Resolutions are being made (or broken). NFL playoff matchups are set.
And yes, fourth-quarter earnings season is underway.
Over the next week, all eyes will be on a slew of financial companies, with reports expected from J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. But traders will undoubtedly be peeking ahead to the heart of earnings season when bellwethers like Alcoa, Alphabet and Caterpillar drop clues about the health of the U.S. economy.
A key group to watch? Retailers.
Retail stocks are off to a rough start in 2024. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) closed lower for the sixth straight day on Friday. It is already down 4% year-to-date.
The decline could reflect profit taking on an industry that was red hot over the last two months of 2023, backed by strong holiday spending data. From November 1 to December 31st, American shoppers spent a record $222 billion at online merchants alone.
Retail’s New Year’s hangover could also point to a ‘valuation recalibration.’ After XRT closed out the year on a 24%, two-month run, the market appears to be thinking that retail stocks went too far too fast — especially with much economic uncertainty ahead.
Despite showing a propensity to spend big over the holidays, consumers could face big pressure in the months ahead. Inflation has improved but is still evident everywhere. Credit card rates are sky high. Student loan payments have resumed. And with budgets already stretched by holiday shopping sprees, there may not be much more money heading retailers' way.
This has some Wall Street research firms calling for a retail downturn. Bernstein sees a “middle-income squeeze and trade-down” in the first half of 2024. Without the near-term interest rate cuts that many have presumed (and that have propelled the S&P 500 to within 2.5% of an all-time high), Bernstein may be right.
This sets the stage for a pivotal juncture for retailers. When companies report fourth quarter results, will the market put more weight on record sales and profits…or on potentially cautious 2024 management commentary and guidance?
These three stocks will be good indicators.
When does Amazon report earnings?
Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) is scheduled to announce fourth-quarter results after the close on February 5th. Last time out, the Zon offered a cautious yet positive outlook for the holiday quarter and its stock gapped up 7%. Management forecast Q4 revenue of $160 billion to $167 billion, which at the midpoint equates to about 10% year-over-year growth. Considering a recent Adobe Analytics report that showed U.S. online spending rose 4.9% during the holidays, the forecast may prove too conservative.
That’s because Amazon also has a strong cloud infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) business in Amazon Web Services (AWS). Revenue AWS, the company’s main profit driver, grew 12% in each of the last two quarters. Given the global rush to secure artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, growth at AWS may have accelerated during Q4. AWS booked several new business wins in the period — including Chinese electric vehicle (EV) leader BYD — and could steal the spotlight from e-commerce next month.
What are the projected Q4 EPS for ANF?
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) is expected to post fourth-quarter earnings per share (EPS) of $2.44 when it reports in early March. This is triple what the company reported for the holiday quarter of 2022. It’ll be interesting to see if upward analyst EPS revisions in recent weeks will prove too optimistic. If history repeats, the surging apparel retailer will blow past the bogey as it did in each of the last three reports.
However, at around $90.00 per share and 24x trailing earnings, ANF may be priced for perfection.The stock blasted 285% higher in 2023 and is trading near an all-time high. Expanding into new clothing categories and demographics was a winning formula last year, but can it be fashionable again in 2024?
Will Wayfair go way up (or down) after earnings?
Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W) crushed Wall Street EPS estimates for the first three quarters of 2023. The online home goods retailer tends to be a big mover come earnings time — and next month’s release probably won’t be different.
Heavy promotional activity and deep discounts were the theme of Wayfair’s holiday shopping campaign, and this likely resulted in strong sales. The extent to which the deals weighed on profitability though, may be the market’s biggest concern. Analysts are predicting that Wayfair will be profitable in 2024, so signals that support or refute this will probably dictate where the stock goes.
Despite its improving financials, Wayfair remains one of the most hated U.S. stocks. Approximately 25% of the float is short. Analyst price targets over the last three months vary widely ($45.00 to $100.00). The last few reports have produced big one-day gains that shorts have pounced on. This has made Wayfair one of the most exciting — and riskiest — retail stocks to play come earnings season.


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However, there are no definitive dates for its launch or pricing. Moreover, it is the first 160cc Hero motorcycle. © Copyright 2020 GaadiWaadi.com, All Rights Reserved. It looks fantastic, is feature-packed, gets a torquey motor and also rides and handles well. After getting listed on the company’s official website, the Hero Xtreme 160R was expected to be launched in India very soon. The suspension duties on the new Hero Xtreme 160R are carried out by conventional telescopic forks at the front and a 7-step adjustable monoshock at the rear. Hero Xtreme 160R listed on official website before launch in April. The Xtreme 160R comes in a dual-tone paint scheme, along with stylish graphics, a sleek blackened headlamp, and a wide seat. If that’s the case, then it will give neck-to-neck competition to the TVS Apache RTR 160 BS6 which costs INR 93,500* in the rear drum brake variant and INR 96,500* in the rear disc brake variant. The Xtreme 160R features a full-LED headlight with LED DRLs. Join Date: Dec 2019. We still have to wait for another motorcycle by the company, which is … With a kerb weight of 138.5 kg, Hero MotoCorp claims that the Xtreme 160R is capable of going from 0 to 60 km/h in just 4.7 seconds. While the launch details are yet to be announced, we tell you what to expect from the new Hero Xtreme 160R. Hero Xtreme 160R Launch Imminent; Test Rides To Begin Soon. Xtreme 160R launch date is anytime this month according to what Hero promised during its unveil last month. The Hero Xtreme 160R can be had in three different dual-tone paint schemes, which include White & Grey, Blue & Grey, and Sports Red & Grey. As mentioned earlier, the 160R also borrows some traits from the Xtreme 1.R concept including the aggressive headlamp design, the lightweight alloy wheels, the digital instrument cluster, etc. - Hero Xtreme 160R launch date in India was 30 June, 2020. Like the Xtreme 200R, we expect the Xtreme 160R to be the most affordable motorcycle in its segment. However, our prediction lies between NPR.3,00,000 to NPR.3,50,000. claimed that they have provided more than 2900 two wheelers to state police department to 11 Indian states. 22 list. Hero Xtreme 160R BS6 Price is ₹ 1,05,050 in India. The Company has launched BS6 models of Hero Glamour, Passion Pro and Pulso 200 Rally Kit. The launch date of Xtreme 160r The hero Xtreme 160Rlaunch at … Styling. Due to COVID-19 postponed the launch of this bike. - Hero Xtreme 160R launched in two variants: rear drum and twin disc. The Hero Xtreme 160R is the brand’s new premium commuter motorcycle that will be placed in the 160 cc segment. Latest car/bike news Hero Motocorp gifted 100 Scooters to Lady officers of UP police. All-New 2020 Hero Xtreme 160R Launch Soon – Top 5 Things To... Website managed by Tecnonation Media Pvt Ltd. The Hero Xtreme 160R isn’t far away from its official launch date [Update: Hero Xtreme 160R Launched In India. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced automobile manufacturers to temporarily shut down their operations and postpone product launches. We also share our estimated price tag… After ensuring it’s home turf ie the entry level commuter segment is guarded, Hero is spreading its presence in the 150cc and higher displacement segments. The Xtreme 160R is powered by an all-new 160 cc single-cylinder engine. The Company has showcased its various motorcycles at its Hero World 2020 which was happened last month. Hero showcased and launched various products at their Hero World 2020 last month. Hero Xtreme 160R launch date. For more Hero MotoCorp news and other two-wheeler updates, keep checking IndianAutosBlog.com. The Hero Xtreme 160R marks Hero MotoCorp’s entry into the popular 160cc motorcycle category. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced … Posted on 24 Mar 2020 Hero MotoCorp is all set to roll out three new motorcycles, Passion Pro BS6, Xtreme 160R, and 2020 Glamour. It comes packed with features like LED lights all around, a digital instrument console and a … Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. This 138.5 kg bike is available in 3 colours. Hero's upcoming Xtreme 160R is now available for test rides as a 'Test Ride' section has gone live on the company's official website. We expect the homegrown manufacturer to price the motorcycle around the Rs 90,000 (ex-showroom) mark. Hero Xtreme 160R - engine, power, torque, LED incdicators, smoked taillamps, exhaust, instrument cluster, pricing, launch date, compititors, After a fair long time, Hero has finally brought a tough competitor in the 160 cc segment. Hero Xtreme 160R is officially coming in India! For one, at a starting price of Rs 99,950, it is one of the most affordable 160cc bikes in the market. The new 160 cc bike serves as a successor to the Xtreme Sports 150, which was discontinued from the Indian market about a year ago. With front disc and rear drum brakes, Hero Xtreme 160R comes up with anti-locking braking system. It is an air-cooled mill which features a fuel-injection system (Programmed Fi) and 2 valves. Hero will launch the Xtreme 160R in March this year. 90,000 – 95,000. Hero Xtreme 160R launch likely soon 24 June 2020, 01:51 PM Suvil Susvirkar - Test ride registration open on Hero MotoCorp’s website - Gets premium features such as full-LED lighting and a digital display Hero MotoCorp has listed its new Xtreme series motorcycle, the Xtreme 160R as 'coming soon'. Location: Mysore. The new Xtreme 160R is powered by a 160cc engine that makes 15bhp and 14Nm. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Hero Xtreme 160R launched at Rs. Styling is one of the biggest talking points of the upcoming Xtreme 160R motorcycle. 1.02 to Rs. Check BS6 Model Mileage, Colors, Photos, User Reviews, Pros Cons and Full Specifications. While the launch details are yet to be announced, we tell you what to expect from the new Hero Xtreme 160R. Along with the bikes launched, Hero also showcased the Hero Xtreme 160R in this event. While the bike was still a concept at the time, a lot of design cues from the Xtreme 1.R have been carried forward to the production-ready version of the 160R showcased in India recently. But now we … Click Here For More Details] The bike was initially set to be launched in March 2020. Hero Xtreme 160R is expected to launch soon in India. But the Hero is expected to launch it at INRs. The Xtreme 160R is based on the Xtreme 1.R concept that was showcased by Hero at the previous edition of the EICMA, in November 2019. All 110 units of MV Agusta Superveloce Alpine sold out within hours, Tata Altroz Turbo Spied Completely Undisguised In Bright New Blue Shade, New heavy-duty Okinawa electric scooter to launch in first quarter of 2021, Digital instrument cluster with negative display. However, Hero will reveal the price of the new Xtreme 160R at its launch, which will happen next month. Maybe the production had begun and the launch was supposed to happen in the coming days itself, but that can't happen now because of the mandatory lockdown announced by the Indian government. Next-Gen Mahindra XUV500 Rendered Based On Spy Shots! Hero XTEC name trademarked, could be Hero Xpulse 200 younger cousin? India has been entirely locked down until 14 April 2020. Seven-Seater MG Hector Plus Launching In January 2021! Performance and Mileage of the Xtreme 160r Hero claims that this new motorcycle accelerates from 0-60 km/hjust in 4.7 seconds. Showcased at the Hero World 2020 event last month, the Xtreme 160R is one of the best-looking motorbikes Hero MotoCorp has ever designed. At the Hero World event, Hero Motocorp unveiled the Hero Xtreme 160R. The upcoming Xtreme 160R comes equipped with a BS6-compliant 160 cc motor with fuel-injection technology, that generates 15 hp of max power 8,500 rpm, while the peak torque is rated at 14 Nm. Hero Xtreme 160R BS6 All Colors Review | | ABS,Latest LED, Latest Styling & Specs | Features-2020 - Duration: 4:11. Hero MotoCorp could launch the Hero Xtreme 160R in India soon. Hero Xtreme 160R vs. TVS Apache RTR 160 - Specs & features compared, Hero Xpulse 200, Splendor, Maestro & others to get costlier from next year, Hero Xtreme 200R-based FRVs given to authorities in Maharashtra, Jammu, New Hero Xtreme 200S offer announced; save up to INR 4,000, Yamaha Tenere 700 makes it to JIDA Design Museum Selection Vol. Hero MotoCorp has listed its new Xtreme series motorcycle, the Xtreme 160R as 'coming soon'. Powered by a 163 cc bs6 engine, the Hero Xtreme 160R has a 5 Speed gearbox. Apart from that, the Xtreme 160R gets a 276 mm front and 220 mm rear petal disc brakes. The braking system is aided by a single-channel ABS. Nissan Magnite vs Kia Sonet Acceleration Test - Shocking Results! The 2020 Hero Xtreme 160R is based on the Xtreme 1.R concept that was showcased by Hero at the previous edition of the EICMA, launch expected in June Hero MotoCorp revealed the 2020 Xtreme 160R motorcycle, along with the BS6-compliant versions of the Glamour and … It introduced as many as […] Hero MotoCorp revealed the 2020 Xtreme 160R motorcycle, along with the BS6-compliant versions of the Glamour and Passion Pro early this year in India. Single cylinder engine of Hero Xtreme 160R has a 5 speed manual gearbox. 2020 Passion Pro and Glamour have both been launched at a starting price of Rs 64,990 and Rs Rs 68,900, respectively. It is available in 2 variants and 3 colours. Hero Xtreme 160R is available in India at a price of Rs. It also has LED blinkers. The Hero Xtreme 160R is the brand’s new premium commuter motorcycle that will be placed in the 160 cc segment. 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Loyalty programs with enticing incentives have always served as an effective tool for helping drive business for quick-service restaurants (QSRs).
But those innovative programs once considered optional are now becoming critical tools for attracting and retaining guests at a time when lockdown measures have left dining areas closed for months, severely impacting restaurant operators.
Enabling access to those loyalty programs via mobile apps has become a key tool for reassuring guests that their safety is top priority. Investments in mobile app development enable QSRs to offer quick and convenient touchless ordering for dine-in, take out and delivery orders.
The challenge for QSRs is knowing how to implement an effective omnichannel loyalty strategy. This requires adopting technology that ensures loyalty and rewards programs work seamlessly across channels. In the July Order To Eat Tracker®, PYMNTS examines how investment in omnichannel loyalty programs can help boost restaurant brand awareness and act as a powerful recovery tool for the industry as it endures financial hardships.
Around The Order To Eat Landscape
In a major industry development, third-party delivery app provider Uber announced it had acquired delivery service Postmates in a $2.7 billion all-stock deal. Uber will operate both company apps side by side, but the rideshare and delivery firm will share some operations. Uber stated in its announcement that Postmates caters to a different demographic and so the acquisition is expected to help the company boost its user base and cover more territory.
With freshly prepared food in demand as many eateries remain shuttered, Denver-based convenience and grocery store Choice Market is looking to fill such needs for its customers by upgrading its omnichannel options for a more consistent shopping experience. Choice Market plans to roll out a points-based loyalty program on its mobile app, in addition to upgrading the mobile app and eCommerce website.
More consumers are choosing the drive-thru during the ongoing health crisis as a safe, convenient way to order and pick up meals with minimal human interaction. QSRs in turn are getting creative in improving their drive-thru experiences. Fast food chain McDonald’s for one has slashed its average drive-thru wait times by 25 seconds during the pandemic, according to the company’s CEO Chris Kempczinski. The fast food chain achieved this wait-time savings by removing menu items, such as its all-day breakfast, and shuttering its dine-in areas has allowed its workers to focus solely on its drive-thru operation.
Checkers And Rally’s On Powering The Omnichannel Loyalty Experience
QSRs are seeking ways to weather the pandemic’s severe economic effects, and innovative loyalty and rewards programs are proving to be valuable in helping engage customers and drive business. Supporting loyalty programs across a range of ordering channels is proving to be a particularly powerful tool in the QSR space.
In this month’s Feature Story, Josh Buchmann, senior director of eCommerce and guest engagement for the Checkers and Rally’s restaurant chain explains how investing in a mobile app-enabled loyalty and rewards program can help restaurants power through the recovery.
To get the full story, download the Tracker.
QSRs are rolling out a variety of loyalty initiatives that can add value for customers and attract them to their stores. Depending on whether a QSR already has an existing loyalty program which is in need of an upgrade, or if a QSR is planning to launch one in the near future, building up a loyalty program may require making updates to existing features that add more value to the user experience or having to make deeper investments in offering an omnichannel experience.
This month’s Deep Dive explores how omnichannel loyalty programs can assist restaurants with engaging customers and collecting valuable demographic data.
Read the full Deep Dive in the Tracker.
The Order To Eat Tracker®, a PYMNTS and Paytronix collaboration, is a monthly report that examines the evolving restaurant space. The report highlights how fast food, fast-casual and QSR establishments are embracing technology, enhancing loyalty offerings and working with aggregated service providers to offer more seamless in-house and delivery ordering experiences and improve customer engagement.


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The EY CEO Outlook Pulse – October 2022 suggests that Asia-Pacific CEOs are set to invest to get ahead of the interrelated threats of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions, increasing geopolitical tensions and climate change.
Among APAC CEOs, 48% identify a continuation or return of COVID-19-related disruption, including new lockdowns and supply chain pressures, as the greatest risk to their business, higher than for CEOs in the Americas (43%) or Europe (41%).
About 68% of APAC CEOs worry about inflation forecasting it will negatively impact their earnings and growth. With price rises across major inputs, including, labour, energy and raw materials, one-fifth (20%) consider inflation as the single-biggest threat to their companies’ revenue and margins.
Contributing to the challenges ahead, 38% of respondents pointed to geopolitical tensions and 35% to climate change and as critical risks to growth. As a result of geopolitical challenges, almost all respondents (95%) are reshaping their investment plans and operations (compared to 69% in February 2022).
According to the EY survey, geopolitical concerns mean Asia-Pacific CEOs are actively reconfiguring their supply chains (48%), delaying a planned investment (43%) or relocating an operational asset (39%); while a quarter has stopped a planned investment (26%) or are exiting businesses in certain markets altogether (25%).
Yew-Poh Mak, EY Asia-Pacific strategy and transactions leader, says: “CEOs across Asia-Pacific are navigating a persistently complex business environment. The combination of ongoing pandemic-related disruptions, rising inflation, geopolitical tensions and climate change have created a perfect storm of high-impact risks.”
He added that Asia-Pacific CEOs need to pull what levers they can to mitigate these risks, while also creating optimal conditions for long-term value creation.
Despite the geopolitical and economic headwinds, Asia-Pacific CEOs are not holding back on their investment plans, with 66% intending to increase capital investment versus just 13% who plan to reduce.
Half of Asia-Pacific CEOs plan to pursue an acquisition in the next year (in line with the average of 48% between 2013–22), while 42% of respondents plan to be active on all fronts, looking to acquire, divest and enter new joint ventures or strategic alliances.
When it comes to their next transaction, more than a quarter (26%) of respondents said that this will be driven by the need to invest in an early-stage business to enhance their existing portfolio and access new talent, and 17% said that they will look to acquire a business in an adjacent sector to open new growth avenues.
Embedding sustainability products and services (42%), focusing on pricing to improve profitability (36%), and adapting supply chains for resiliency (35%) are the top three strategic actions Asia-Pacific CEOs respondents are planning to pursue to weather a challenging six months ahead.
According to Mak, Asia-Pacific is still the fastest growing region in the world and CEOs recognise they need to bolster their investments to keep pace with rapidly changing market dynamics.
“Asia-Pacific CEOs see M&A, joint ventures, and alliances as critical tools to quickly access the operational capabilities, talent and scale needed to transform their businesses and position themselves for future growth.”Yew-Poh Mak
“However, Asia-Pacific CEOs are being much more selective in the deals they pursue, having strengthened their due diligence processes to make sure they're doing the right deal at the right price,” he continued.
He added that now is a critical time for Asia-Pacific CEOs to review their assumptions and re-examine their strategies through a new lens.
“Leading companies recognise the importance of a more local approach and will diversify their risk exposure by re-orienting their investments, focusing on value for stakeholders and moving supply chains closer to their customers,” he concluded.


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Apple CEO Steve Jobs admitted it was a "mistake" to roll out the company's MobileMe service at the same time it launched the iPhone 3G and other big products, tech news site Ars Technica reported late Monday.
Ars Technica cited an internal memo sent by Jobs to employees that acknowledged MobileMe had flaws and was released too soon. In the memo, Jobs said the launch of the service could have been handled better, the article said. He also acknowledged the service was "not up to Apple's standards." And he said the individual MobileMe services … Read more


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By Paul Bois
Fans of Chick-fil-A will have to choose their desired sauce wisely due to a shortage.
According to CNN, Chick-fil-A will now be limiting the number of sauces customers select to manage supply-chain issues.
“The chicken chain said Wednesday that industry-wide supply chain issues, which are affecting essentially every aspect of the economy, has resulted in a ‘shortage of select items’ that Chick-fil-A serves, including sauces,” reported the outlet.
Click the link below to read the rest of this story.
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Tesla may produce more than the Model Y and Model 3 at Gigafactory 4, according to an announcement by the State Office for the Environment in Brandenburg published in an official journal. Many have dropped their speculation on the next Tesla car that might be made in the GF4 after the Model Y and Model 3.
The State Office for the Environment in Brandenburg announced that Gigafactory Europe would be working on Model Y and Model 3 assembly as well as future Tesla vehicles. Based on the official journal where the announcement was published, GF4 will be manufacturing 500,000 vehicles per year when it is fully functional.
The Tesla community has already started speculating which future vehicles the next-gent automaker plans to produce at Gigafactory 4. The top theories right now are the Cybertruck, a Model 2, and the 2020 Roadster. Tesla has a valid reason for producing any of these vehicles at GF4.
Many have argued that the Cybertruck might be too big for the European market, which tends to lean towards smaller vehicles. However, Elon Musk has mentioned manufacturing a compact CYBRTRK, which may be the right size for EV consumers in Europe who want a car but would fit the standard size for vehicles on the continent.
The Model 2 has long been a vehicle lurking in the shadows at Tesla. It is speculated to be the EV automaker's compact car. During a 2018 earnings call, Elon Musk did talk about the car company thinking of releasing a segment-C vehicle, which could be the Model 2.
A compact car would fit the European standard well. Gali from HyperChange predicted that the Model 2 could be part of Phase 3 of Elon Musk's Master Plan in an exclusive Tesmanian interview.
The 2020 Roadster could also be made in Gigafactory 4. It is Tesla's supercar, and Europe is known for its mastery of supercar-making. The 2020 Roadster would fit in nicely in GF4's lineup and the European market as well.
# Bombs clear command #— #Gf4 #Gigafactory4 (@Gf4Tesla) December 21, 2019
along this path the "Container Camp" Trailer Park will be built from 06. Jan. 2020. To rid the forest of unexploded ordnance from WW 2.
A vanguard is already there....so alone......🥺 pic.twitter.com/lJdObYn0Iv
Gigafactory 4 scheduled to start construction on the Model Y in 2021. Tesla could meet its deadline if the purchase contract for the GF4 forest and papers for the actual construction of Gigafactory 4 are approved on time.
The purchase contract for GF4 has already been signed by Brandenburg officials. The Tesla board still has to approve the final contract. However, the GF4 forest is already undergoing preliminary preparations for construction, including inspections for possible leftover WWII bombs.
Featured Image Credit: #Gf4 #Gigafactory4/Twitter
About the Author
Longtime writer and news/book editor. Writing about Tesla allows me to contribute something good to the world, while doing something I love.


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The IPL 2020 is going to kick-off from today, to be played in front of an empty stadium in Dubai. A lot has changed this year including its title sponsor. This year’s lead sponsor, Dream11 – the popular online fantasy gaming platform, will shell out INR 222 crore with a hope to get more app downloads by cricket-loving users and to generate a major chunk of revenue during this month-long tournament.
IPL from its inception has commanded high premium for its title sponsorship, having sponsors like DLF in 2008 to PepsiCo to Vivo as recently as last year. Driven by phenomenon growth, Dream11 was not the only unicorn gunning for the title sponsorship of IPL. The top 3 bids received this year were all unicorns – startups with valuation of USD 1 bn+. Dream11, with the highest bid of INR 222 crore, was followed by BYJU’s (INR 201 crore) and Unacademy (INR 170 crore). This is going to be the new normal where startups, especially the unicorns, will be at the forefront of advertising and sponsorship spend, replacing FMCG and Consumer Brands.
The journey of Dream11 – the first Indian gaming company to enter the ‘Unicorn Club’, has been a fascinating one. Founded in 2008, Dream11 introduced “freemium” fantasy sports in India for cricket fans in 2012. It touched 1 mn+ registered users within 2 years in 2014, crossing 5mn by 2016 and, entering the unicorn club with 50mn+ users & clocking INR 700 crore revenue in 2019. Today it enjoys a user base of 80mn+ and is also one of India’s few unicorns that are close to making profits. Just a few days back (after winning the bid for title sponsorship of IPL), Dream11 secured fresh funding of $225 million at a valuation of USD 2.5 bn, which is more than 100% increase from its last round of funding valued at USD 1.1 bn in April 2019.
Interesting, Dream11 can’t be considered as some over-valued startup, splurging big money on fancy sponsorship. This brand association is a perfect fit for their business and it will also contribute major revenue during such events. And with the IPL title rights in its kitty and the financial boost that will come with it, Dream11 is definitely dreaming big. This should be a wakeup call for old, traditional brands that took years to create a favourable brand image. Startups are now not only replacing leading traditional brands as lead sponsors for major events, but are also strengthening their brand equity and are securing bigger pie in the consumers’ minds. The game is ON and the stakes are getting higher…
Written by: Kashyap Pandya, Founder & Director of Syncoro Ventures Pvt Ltd


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RWANDA football federation, Ferwafa has set fines for top flight players who will be booked in the 2009/10 national football league.
A bookable offence worth a yellow card will be fined at Rwf. 1000 while a red card will go for Rwf. 2000 respectively.
The fines will be paid in accordance to the constitution which governs the football body in Rwanda.
Until last week, over 42 players have been cautioned by the referees. Amani Hussein (Amagaju) and Cyrille Pizorera (Police) have been sent off.
Reigning champions APR had the least number of cautions-two yellow cards (Didier Kapet and Haruna Niyonzima).
Atraco, Rayon Sport, Etincelles, AS Kigali and Amagaju had three yellow cards each. Police and Marines had four while Mukura, Musanze and Electrogaz topped the list with five.


text: A barrage of policy initiatives aimed at purging India of black money and instilling greater transparency rocked India’s economy last year, including its gold market. The most dramatic was the radical decision to demonetise over 15 trillion rupees, around US$220bn. Other policies – such as the re-introduction of excise duty – affected the gold market, too. And the forthcoming Goods & Service Tax (GST) will change the shape of the industry. India’s gold market faces some short-term headwinds. But looking ahead, these policies may deliver a stronger economy and a more transparent gold industry, underpinning gold demand, which we expect to be between 650-750t in 2017.


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The group that has been responsible for bringing numerous online services offline in the past couple years are up to no good again. This time, they've targeted Battle.net - is it retaliatory?
...of Microsoft money, ARM's acquisition, and Windows 10 updates
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Lens Cover
Expanding mobile photography with Aukey's wide-angle lenses
JESBOD QY13 sports Bluetooth earphones
Time is running out to claim your free Windows 10 upgrade
windows 10 upgrade
Insider build 14393.3 for PC and Mobile released to Fast ring
World of warcraft
Because of credible threats of legal action from Activision-Blizzard, the largest known underground vanilla World of Warcraft private server, Nostalrius, will soon shut down with no recourse.
The movie based on Blizzard's Warcraft franchise finally gets its first full length trailer. If you love heavy amounts of CGI and mythical beasts, then you've come to the right place.
Blizzard is testing a new patch that will bring a 'S.E.L.F.I.E. Camera' to the "World of Warcraft". This new item will allow characters to take selifes. Twitter integration is also being tested.
For everyone interested in gaming, 4k is a nice dream. Playing games like World of Warcraft, Counter Strike Global Offensive, or Team Fortress at this resolution may be more affordable than it sounds.
During April 11-13th, PAX East attendees will have the oppurtunity to play some of Blizzards latest demos of upcoming titles including the PS4 version of Diablo 3, the Ultimate Evil Edition.
Newly leaked NSA documents claim that the spy agency and its UK sister agency GCHQ have entered into online gaming communities, including Xbox Live, to look for terrorist activities.
Blizzard announced that it will hold the 2013 edition of its BlizzCon fan event on November 8-9 in Anaheim, California but tickets for the event are not yet on sale.
A new report claims that Blizzard plans to release a Linux port for at least one of its major games in 2013, joining the trend of increased interest in Linux gaming.
Hackers apparently found an exploit in the servers of Blizzard's hit MMO World of Warcraft that allowed them to kill lots of player characters and NPCs all at once. Blizzard says it has now fixed it.
A Democratic candidate for a state senate office in Maine this year is being slammed by her Republican opponents because of her hobby. playing World of Warcraft.
Blizzard has announced that Mists of Pandaria, the fourth commercial expansion pack for World of Warcraft, sold 2.7 million units in its first week of sales in late September.
Blizzard senior software engineer Darren Williams says that the game developer has "no particular fear" of Windows 8 as the company gets ready to launch its latest World of Warcraft expansion.
Astute players of World of Warcraft have discovered that watermarks are being inserted into screenshots taken of the game. The watermark data includes identifying player and server information.
Blizzard has now admitted that its games, including its hit MMO World of Warcraft, are banned from being accessed by residents of Iran due to the sanctions against that country by the US government.
Blizzard has released the opening CGI cinematic for the upcoming MMO expansion pack World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, which will officially launch later in September.
Activision Blizzard has revealed that the fantasy MMO World of Warcraft currently has 9.1 million subscribers, a loss of 1.1 million users in the second quarter of 2012.
Rob Pardo, the Executive Vice President at Blizzard Entertainment, apparently agrees with Valve's Gabe Newell and his harsh assessment of Windows 8, calling it "not awesome for Blizzard either."
Blizzard has announced that World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, the next expansion pack for their hit fantasy MMO, will be released on September 25th in three versions.
Blizzard has announced that Diablo III sold over 3.5 million copies in just its first 24 hours. That number doesn't include 1.2 million players who got it for free in a World of Warcraft promotion.
As Anders Behring Breivik faces trial, he comes up with some completely baffling claims, such as being a member of the Knights Templar, as well as being found as an avid player of Blizzard's MMO.
Blizzard Entertainment has announced it will be laying off 600 of its employees, although it adds that all of its games under development, including Diablo III, will be unaffected.
This weekend's round up of game news includes word on a new feature on Playstation Home, a new game developmet studio making free-to-play hardcore first person shooter and more.
The weekly gaming news round-up feature returns with Diablo III, Battlefield 3, World of Warcraft, Batman Arkham City, Portal 2, Mass Effect 3, Prison Architect, Mechwarrior 5 and more
Blizzard has announced that 12 month subscribers to its hit MMO World of Warcraft will be able to get a free version of its upcoming fantasy action-RPG sequel Diablo III when it is released in 2012.
SteelSeries has announced a new gaming PC mouse made especially for playing Blizzard's popular MMO game World of Warcraft.
After the events in Norway earlier this month that caused dozens of people to be killed, a retailer in that country has decided to remove a number of PC and console games from its store shelves.
Comic-Con 2011 is over and we are still amazed at how much attention the game developer and publishers give to show off their upcoming games and announce new projects at the show when their news...
The holiday weekend made gaming news a bit slow so we are doing a quick recap of the big gaming news of the past week: Tribes Ascent, the upcoming revival of the first person shooter series...
More and more MMO games are either launching out of the box with a free-to-play business model or switching after launch to offer a free-to-play option to play the game. Now the biggest MMO game...
Because gaming news is usually pretty slow on the weekends, we've decided to do one round-up of game news for Friday, Saturday and Sunday's news items There is a bit of an uproar among players in...
Liu Dali, a prisoner at the Jixi labour camp in the Heilongjiang province in China, has detailed his strange ordeal as he was forced to produce virtual gold as part of his incarceration. Liu would...
If you managed to buy a ticket or two to BlizzCon 2011 today, consider yourself lucky. The first batch of tickets for Blizzard's annual fan event sold out quickly. After going on sale at 1...
After over six years of subscriber growth, Blizzard mega-popular fantasy MMO World of Warcraft may have reached plateaus. During the financial conference call on Monday for Blizzard's parent company Activision Blizzard it was announced that...
Fans of the Diablo action-RPG franchise might want to pencil in some vacation time later on this year. During Activision Blizzard's financial conference call, Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime said that the long awaited third game...
It was another busy day in game news as we get closer to E3 2011, including word of layoffs at a big game developer, an update to a PC game download site and more. The GoG.com...
For a while, it seemed that World of Warcraft had been stuck at around 11.5 million subscribers. Blizzard Entertainment announced today that World of Warcraft has finally reached more than 12 million subscribers around the...
In a much-anticipated move, Blizzard has added a full opt-out option to its Real ID service, which will span across all of its enabled games - currently World of Warcraft and StarCraft II, and likely...
Earlier this week, and to the dismay of the many users of Blizzard's official forums, Blizzard announced it would soon force all users to use their "Real ID" -- or their real name -- to...
World of Warcraft, one of the most successful online games of all time, currently has a subscription fee which allows you to play the game. But according to World of Warcraft's lead designer Tom Chilton,...
Symantec admitted recently that their Norton Internet Security Suite labels files associated with World of Warcraft as malicious. The security suite deleted the files it thought were malware, causing the game to stop working. Product Manager...
On the official World of Warcraft website, Blizzard has posted the first details regarding the upcoming patch titled "Call of the Crusade". Patch 3.2 is currently "in the works" without a set release date. The...
Video games based on Hollywood blockbusters have long been the pet hate of the industry, and it seems things aren't going to change anytime soon if todays reports are anything to by. According to Variety,...
Blizzard Entertainment announced that their second expansion pack to the World of Warcraft game, Wrath of the Lich King, has sold over 2.8 million copies within 24 hours of release, beating the previous record of...


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Chinese Smartphone manufacturer OnePlus will now be selling its handsets also on Flipkart.com from Monday, June 22, 2015.
Vikas Agarwal of OnePlus said. “Starting June 22, the OnePlus One 64GB (Black) will be available on Flipkart at Rs 21,999,”
The basic model of the handset is priced at Rs 18,999. The Silk White 16GB variant will be available in stores in a few weeks.
OnePlus One handset was exclusively available on Amazon and now the monopoly has been broken.
The device is equipped with a 5.5-inch display, and its other features are as below:
- Gorilla Glass 3 protection
- Snapdragon 801 processor
- 3GB RAM
- Android 4.4 KitKat
- 13MP rear camera
- 5MP front facing camera
- 3100mAh Lithium-ion battery
“At OnePlus, it has been our constant endeavour to evaluate and evolve our go-to-market strategy and this collaboration is another step in that direction.
“We are happy to have Flipkart as our new channel partner, in a bid to expand our reach and make OnePlus One more accessible to people across the country,” he said.
InDecember 2014, Indian Court had banned the sale of OnePlus One smartphones in India after a lawsuit filed by Micromax.
Micromax had cited reason that it has exclusivity for marketing devices with CyanogenMod software in India.
Later the ban was lifted.


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As you may or may not have known Hasbro owns the rights to Dungeons & Dragons and chooses to license those rights as it sees fit for what must be a nice revenue stream. But it isn’t happy due to what it sees as an unauthorized use of the digital rights for D&D.
Infogrames Entertainment is a subsidiary of Atari and Hasbro has decided to sue the company for committing fraud by using the D&D digital rights without its consent. More specifically, by licensing them through Namco Bandai Partners without authorization. Hasbro explains this in a statement by saying:
Dungeons & Dragons is owned by Hasbro’s wholly-owned subsidiary Wizards of the Coast, who discovered earlier this year that Atari may have entered into an unauthorised sub-licensing relationship with Namco Bandai Partners (NBP) for the Dungeons & Dragons digital game rights.
While unfortunate that we had to take this action, it is crucial for us to protect the Dungeons & Dragons brand. We have been working for several months now to reach resolution with Atari, and they have left us with no other choice than to pursue legal action.
Atari is having none of it though, and looks set to fight the lawsuit. Commenting on the action Atari also suggests Hasbro should remember how much money they have already made them from past projects:
Atari has had a long and rich history with the Dungeons and Dragons franchise, investing millions of dollars into numerous critically acclaimed and commercially successful games that have generated significant revenue for Hasbro. Hasbro has resorted to these meritless allegations, in an apparent attempt to unfairly take back rights granted to Atari.
Atari has sought to resolve the matter without cooperation from Hasbro. We regret that our long-time partner has decided to pursue this action. Atari will respond appropriately through its legal counsel in court.
This isn’t the first time Atari has been sued in relation to D&D. Back in August developer Turbine, which created the Dungeons & Dragons Online MMO also took action against the publisher regarding the free-to-play re-launch of the game. Now it is facing another lawsuit, but this time from the rights holders.
I doubt this will have any impact on existing games, but it could end up costing Atari a lot of money if they lose. Rights would have to be negotiated for all games viewed as unauthorized and there would be ongoing fees or royalties to pay for games like D&D Online if that game fell under this action. That’s purely because it continues to make money from players.
On the other hand, if Hasbro lose, they could be damaging a relationship that generates revenue for them from the D&D digital rights. Although saying that, there’s plenty of other games publishers out there who would be willing to pay for those rights.


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One of last year’s most troubling blows for the American consumer was the decision by GM (later mimicked by Chrysler) to stop leasing its vehicles. With most people unable to obtain financing for new vehicles, the disappearance of a leasing option undoubtedly weighed on 2008’s troubled automotive market. Following the recapitalization of GMAC and its transformation into a bank, however, GM is considering coming back into the leasing business.
“We’re looking to re-enter the leasing business on at least a limited basis at some point in 2009,” said GM sales chief for North America, Mark LaNeve. LaNeve said he thinks the days of cheap leases to drive up volume are over, calling it bad business. GM would like to see leasing become 5 or 10 percent of sales, rather than 20 or 25 percent.
GM COO Fritz Henderson said GM’s inability to lease late last year dramatically hurt its sales. “We were constrained on what we could do on APR, just in terms of regular retail financing. We actually have made some progress in terms of being able to get back in the game not just with GMAC, but with credit union activity that we put in place. We think we made some progress to solve that APR, but we haven’t solved the leasing arm yet.”
LaNeve said GM has been out of leasing for almost 6 months. He did not give a specific date when the automaker would return to leasing. However, since being granted status as a bank, GM’s financial arm, GMAC, has eased back some of its standards for vehicle loans, easing some of the difficulty in obtaining new car financing for prospective buyers.
Source: Automotive News


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Pulwama fruit growers protest over ‘stopping’ of fruit laden trucks
Pulwama: The fruit growers in south Kashmir’s Pulwama on Wednesday staged a protest and demanded that fruit laden trucks should not be stopped at the National highway as it leads to the losses.
The growers held a peaceful protest at Prichoo Pulwama and said that the crop gets boiled and damaged resulting in losses to apple growers as the apple laden trucks remain stuck for days together.
They said that the traffic from Valley towards Jammu is allowed only for three to four hours and thereafter trucks are not allowed to move forward.
“It is not possible to pass the fruit loaded trucks within a shortest period of time with the result fruit loaded trucks are stopped in the way for around three days resulting in huge losses,” they said.
They said the stoppage of fruit loaded trucks for 2-3 days in the way on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH44) adds more misery due to the late arrival of their apple crop to respective destinations.
“Growers are already suffering due to low demand in the market and now stopping on national highways may lead to heavy losses to growers,” they said.
They said that the government is well aware about the issue but has not taken any steps in this regard.
They urged the higher ups to look into the matter on humanitarian ground and pass directions to concerned authorities so that growers will not suffer anymore.


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SLAB has found what appears to be a bottom on the chart and is poised to move higher. Its recent earnings have been positive and with tech strong, SLAB should benefit. One to watch.www.stockpicklist.com
is going on with this stock? Anyone know?
What's going on is that a "sinking tide lowers all ships".Lots of uncertainty in the forecast for consumer electronics in 2008.
Even if you take the $12/share out of the price the PE is still ridiculous compared to it's peers. :-(


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Web3 Business Activity
Preparing business for a Web3 world
A new generation of the internet based on blockchains, decentralised networks, and digital assets promises to put the user in control of their data and their interactions, breaking the monopolies of the current big players.
Web3 has the potential to make online spaces more trustworthy, empowering users to be part of the new opportunities. The Web3 market has been forecast to grow at a CAGR of more than 46% to 2030, reaching around $50 billion, according to a report by Cognitive Market Research.
To prepare for this coming Web3 world, Ireland must ensure that policy, education and skills, and the public and private sectors, are ready to take full advantage, adapting successfully to the new landscape.
Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet is conducting research to establish what will be needed to develop a talent-led approach to Web3, with support from Blockchain Ireland.
This survey is aimed at businesses and entrepreneurs working in or getting into Web3, to gauge the current situation and ascertain what needs to be done for tomorrow.


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07 November 2023
Consumer spending faces a crucial test in the final quarter of the year, known as the Golden Quarter, when retailers make most of their sales.
Conditions for spending are improving - wages are rising faster than prices, cost of living grants have kicked in, interest rates are unlikely to go up, and inflation is easing. This should make consumers feel better-off and more willing to spend. However, consumer confidence fell sharply in October, mainly due to worries about the economic backdrop. So, what does this mean for demand?
The outlook for retail sales
The ONS reported a 0.9% decline in retail sales volumes in September, mainly due to lower sales of clothing and household goods. Clothing sales dropped by 1.9% as consumers delayed buying winter items due to unseasonably warm weather. The largest factor for the drop in sales, however, was household goods down 2.3%. This suggests that consumers who are concerned about costs are waiting for promotional events, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to spend. These events occur before Christmas and offer a chance for consumers who want to save money to do so. Due to the current economic situation, this is something that consumers are eager for.
Looking at the bigger picture, sales volumes in September are at similar levels to 2018, which implies that retailers have not experienced much volume growth in the past five years. This is consistent with the stagnant trend that has been affecting sales volumes for some time.
Economic data signals a more positive outlook for spending
However, there are bright spots on the horizon when it comes to economic indications for spending that should give retailers hope. In September the Consumer Price Index (CPI) held steady at 6.7% running below the Bank of England’s forecast of 6.9%. This means that cost pressures that reached their peak in October last year (with inflation running at 11.1%) are gradually beginning to ease. This, coupled with cost-of-living grants coming through, and the fact that wages outpaced prices for the first time since Autumn 2021 in July, means that consumers should begin to feel they have more money in their pockets in the final quarter of the year.
The gradual fall in CPI also means it’s likely that interest rates have peaked. Particularly when paired with the latest unemployment data that held steady at 4.2% in the three months to August and indicates a cooling labour market. This gives policy makers little reason to hike interest rates any further. Indeed, analysts predict the base rate will hold at 5.25% until the second half of 2024 when it should begin to fall.
Despite the prolonged high interest rates that may affect the disposable income of working age consumers who will face higher rental and mortgage costs, other economic factors such as real wage growth and falling inflation suggest that indications for spending are not entirely negative. Currently, the economic picture seems to offer a more optimistic outlook for spending than what we have witnessed so far this year. This is good timing considering retailers make most of their profits in the final quarter of the year.
Consumer confidence throws a spanner in the works
But impetus to spend is not dependant on hard economic data alone. Consumer confidence also plays a vital role, and the latest data from GfK shows a sharp drop in consumer confidence to -30 in October. This is worse than -21 in September when confidence seemed to be recovering, and contrary to analysts who had expected an improvement to -20 for the month.
What can we learn from past Golden Quarters?
The data for past Golden Quarter periods can reveal some insights about consumer behaviour and retail trends. According to the 10-year average of retail sales, October is usually a busy month for retail with many consumers starting their Christmas shopping early to spread the cost. However, this year we don’t anticipate this trend to be as pronounced as in 2022 when retail sales were up 1.4% in October compared to the 10-year average of 0.2%. With inventory levels at record highs and inflation stemming demand, retailers went big on discounting early in the quarter, incentivising consumers to bring more of their spend forwards. Seasonal promotions in October bled through into November’s flagship events - Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and even into December, affecting the overall profitability of the sector in 2022.
This year however, the climate is different, and the industry has worked hard to bring inventory levels down. Added to this, increased input costs at the start of the year which have weighed heavily on balance sheets, it’s likely retailers will be eager to pull back lost margins and maximise full price sales in this critical trading window. Consequently, we forecast retailers will limit flagship promotional events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This plan, however, will hinge on how well retailers perform in October and November. If they can sell enough in the first two months of the quarter, they might be able to make up for their earlier losses this year. But if sales are weak, retailers will likely resort to heavy discounting in December, especially for seasonal stock like partywear and Christmas food.
To sum up, we think that the first two months of the Golden Quarter will be about the industry working together to maintain margins across the board and take advantage of what is normally the most profitable period for the sector. However, if October and November prove a wash-out due to a continued lag in consumer confidence, all bets are off and December might be a race to the bottom to shift excess inventory.
To discuss this analysis, or any business issue you may be facing in the current climate contact our experts Jacqui Baker or Robyn Duffy.


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South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai is the latest multinational company to venture into the Horn of Africa via Somaliland.
Hyundai launched its fleet of cars in Somaliland joining Coca Cola as the world-renowned companies that have invested in the country that is seeking to gain international recognition.
The South Korean car manufacturer has partnered with Dahabshiil group of companies to not only introduce Hyundai model of cars to Somaliland but also to the horn of Africa region whose economy has become vibrant thanks to the growing international interest.
“This Hyundai automotive business is not going to be limited to Somaliland, but aims at Horn region as a whole,” Dahabshiil Motors Chief Executive Officer Engineer Awil Sharif said in an interview.
SEE ALSO: Somalia and breakaway state Somaliland hold talks
Shariff said the entry of the Korean company into Somaliland and the Horn of Africa region is vital given the economic developments that have been taking place within.
“Ongoing developmental projects in the country such as the DP World’s expansion of Berbera port together with the approved plan to create a free trade zone plus the construction of Berbera corridor highway - connecting Berbera port to the landlocked regions of neighboring Ethiopia, we are quite optimistic that the entry of Hyundai will have great impact in the motoring industry. Furthermore, our strategic plan includes expanding the business to other Somali regions and East Africa as early as practically possible,” he added.
Sharif said they have introduced eight models into the country.
The eight models include Grand Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Tuscon, Creta, Elantra, Grand i10, a 14 seater Commercial Bus, and Light Track.
“Most countries in Africa bring four or five models. We started with eight models and will bring more models in the future depending on the customers’ demand.”
The entry of Hyundai in Somaliland comes just six months after the company opened a 10,000-a-year vehicle capacity assembly plant in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on, its first factory in East Africa.
“This plant is big enough (to assemble) for Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Sudan,” said Haile Gebrselassie, the former Olympian-turned businessman during the official launch.
Ethiopia produces around 10,000 commercial and other vehicles a year for its home market. It imported more than 40,000 cars in 2017, automobile traders say.
The Hyundai Company operates the largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, South Korea, which has an annual production capacity of 1.6 million units. The company employs about 75,000 people worldwide. Hyundai vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 5,000 dealerships and showrooms.
Dahabshiil Motors who are the sole distributors of Hyundai vehicles in Somaliland and Somali regions are offering direct purchase and bank financing.
“The vehicles can be purchased through Murabaha (the Islamic financing bank system,” stated the CEO
“Our partnership with Hyundai is based on a collaborative effort, sharing the value of the products and services in a way that can help us meet the highest standards of customer satisfaction.”
The entry of Hyundai in Somaliland comes at a time when the country’s Ministry of transportation authority announced it would ban imported right-hand drive vehicles by 2020. The Government of Somaliland is also taking drastic steps to ensure safety on the country’s roads and reduce the effects of vehicle emissions created by unroadworthy cars.


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On Thursday, Ferrari unveiled its first plug-in hybrid electric sports car. It is 296 GTB, falling in the series SF 90 and SF 90 Spider. With their electric version, they plan to attract new customers, in addition to their current customers.
Ferrari’s chief marketing and commercial officer, Enrico Galliera, talked about 296 GTB. He says it created a new segment in the Ferrari production line. In a web presentation, he said, “If the SF 90 was designed to reach the peak of performance, this has been designed for the peak of pleasure of driving. We expect this will also help us attract clients who are not driving a Ferrari now.”
Ferrari’s 296 GTB could cost around $269,000. And the high-performance version could cost around $320,000. The luxury sports car has a top speed of 330 km per hour (205 miles per hour).
The news comes after Ferrari hired tech industry veteran Benedetto Vigna as CEO. Ferrari is also going in the line of hybrid models before shifting to fully electric. Its competitor Labhorghini announced last month its plans for producing gas-electric sports cars. But Porsche already is offering fully electric luxury sports cars.
296 GTB segment
Furthermore, the 296 GTB segment is a two-seater, which Ferrari has been working on for years. As said by Galliera, “It’s a process which has started a couple of years ago. We’re working to cope with regulation and the task of reducing emissions.”
Additionally, the Ferrari will be fitted in 6 cylinder mid-rear turbo engine. Such engines were used in the 1950s in Ferrari racing cars. As part of Ferrari’s Dino project, the V6 engines were well known back then.
For decades Ferrari has been using V8 or more powerful engines up to V12. However, with additional electric capacity, the V6 would potentially be fit. A 122KW electric motor with V6 can have 830 horsepower.
The manufacturing is expected to be at the Maranello plant.
Other models by Ferrari in 2022
It is known that SF90 can deliver 25km silent electric power, so the 296 GTB could be similar or even better. The deliveries are expected to start by 2022 in Europe.
Ferrari promised to announce three models in 2021, and the 295GTB is the third model. The other model is Purosangue, an SUV. However, they have plans to unveil 15 new models in 2022.
As part of their expansion, the latest models are SF90 Stradale, Foma, and Tributo. There are not many details about the upcoming models in 2022; 296 GTB is only one. Italy is among the most affected country because of COVID-19. Yet, the Italian carmaker seems to be going ahead competing with its competitors.


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Tale of the Tape
Good evening, everyone. Today was a turnaround Tuesday following yesterday’s record gains. 👎
Every major index just barely closed in negative territory. The Nasdaq lost 0.05% after being up 0.50% early. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was the biggest loser— the Dow dropped 0.29%. 💔
Utilities, consumer discretionary, and consumer staples were the strongest sectors. Healthcare and tech both tumbled 0.40%.
Bitcoin continues to bounce just below 60K. Ethereum ticked a new all-time high.
Restaurant stocks were hot. Yum Brands bopped 3.11% and closed at its highest price since October 2019. Chipotle and Domino’s Pizza both popped 2.4%— Starbucks soared 1.9% and closed at a new all-time high. ☕
Coinbase reported earnings prior to next week’s IPO. 👀 See more below.
Illumina, Inc. advanced 7.88% after the company released preliminary earnings for Q1 2021. Read the press release here.
And here are the closing prints:
On Topps Of The World 🌎
If you’ve ever bought baseball, WWE, or NHL cards, you probably recognize the name ‘Topps.’ While the trading card brand primarily deals with kids’ collectibles, it’s still worth a lot of grown-up money. 😅
Today, Topps announced its public debut via SPAC ($MUDS). In a deal that values the trading card company at ~$1.163B, Topps is technically a unicorn… despite being 83-years-old.
This won’t be the first time Topps has traded publicly, though. The company was listed on the NYSE in 2007 before going private (at a $385M valuation) with an investment firm led by former Disney CEO Michael Eisner.
So why the interest in going public again? Topps is looking to capitalize on the recent NFT craze by expanding its business model to include digital editions of popular trading cards as NFTs.
We’re thinking these cards might be a bit more valuable than the ones you used to trade with the neighborhood kids. 💰
Coinbase Crushed Earnings
Coinbase reported earnings before its IPO next week. The crypto exchange has 56,000,000 verified users and 6.1M Monthly Transacting Users (MTUs).
Total revenue in Q1 2021 was $1.8B, compared to the exchange’s 2020 full-year revenue of $1.1B. 👀
Crypto markets have observed four major price cycles since 2010 which have typically had durations ranging from two to four years. On average, these price cycles have increased the overall crypto market capitalization significantly from the prior cycle and attracted new users into the cryptoeconomy. These cycles can be highly volatile, and as a result, we measure our performance over price cycles in lieu of quarterly results. We believe that we can create long-term value throughout these price cycles.
Coinbase is expected to make its trading debut on April 14 under the ticker $COIN. 🙌
Read the press release here.
Kim K Is a Queen B?
With the B standing for billionaire, of course (no disrespect to Beyoncé!).
In 2011, Kim K barely made Forbes’ footnotes for her 6.6M Twitter followers. Now, one decade later, she’s officially made history by becoming a member of the World’s Billionaire List.
The pop culture icon is now worth an estimated $1B thanks to her wildly successful companies (KKW Beauty and Skims) and cash flow from some of her other big ventures. This is craziness— she was only worth $780M in October 2020.
Kim K’s reaction? We think this tweet from her first Forbes cover debut sums it up:
Not bad for a girl with no talent!
It’s Electric 🔋
GM confirmed its plans to develop an EV Chevrolet Silverado. 👀
The all-electric pickup truck will be built at the company’s Factory ZERO assembly plant in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan. The GMC HUMMER EV SUV will also be built at Factory ZERO.
GM estimates more than a 400-mile range for the EV truck. 🤩 General Motors President Mark Reuss shared:
The vehicles coming from Factory ZERO will change the world, and how the world views electric vehicles. The GMC HUMMER EV SUV joins its stablemate in the realm of true supertrucks, and Chevrolet will take everything Chevy’s loyal truck buyers love about Silverado— and more— and put it into an electric pickup that will delight retail and commercial customers alike.
The company did not provide production dates, but rumors report sometime in late 2022. Here’s GM with more.
Earnings This Week
Be sure to know when your stocks report earnings. Here’s the earnings calendar.
Links That Don’t Suck
💰Psychedelics Is a Sector Packed With Winners. It’s Only the Beginning… FREE STOCK REPORT HERE.*
💰 Coin Metrics’ State of the Network #97— Bitcoin On-Chain Indicators Update
🍿 Momentum Tuesday…Momentum Monday Was Not Enough
🏀 Private Equity Is Coming to Professional Sports
🏡 RWM Crosses $2 Billion in AUM, A New Investable Asset Class is Born with Dallas Tanner (CEO, Invitation Homes)
☀ Geothermal – AVC


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Its been about 6 weeks since iPhone 4S becomes available, the three US mobile operators(AT&T, Sprint & Verizon) are struggling to keep up with demand for Apple’s fifth smartphone.
According to a report, US customers will have to wait more than 3 weeks for the iPhone 4S which launched in the U.S. and six other countries on October 14.
Verizon customers may have to wait up to 3-weeks for the iPhone 4S compared to 21 days at AT&T and up to 14 days at Sprint Nextel.
“We are having some supply issues in the sense that demand’s huge,” AT&T’s president of emerging devices, Glenn Lurie, said. “We have had just record-breaking sales on it.”
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said last month he expects to set a record for iPhone sales in the current quarter. “We are working hard to get iPhone 4S in customers’ hands as quickly as possible,” Cook told analysts.
Meanwhile, we have reported that Malaysia iPhone 4S launch will take place on December 16. The iPhone 4S will be available via Maxis, Celcom & DiGi.
[Source]– Wall Street Journal


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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed the Commerce Ministry to make arrangement for duty-free import of 5 million cotton bales, as low production of staple hits the country’s exports.
Pakistan, the world’s fourth biggest cotton producer, is facing sharp decline in cotton production in 2116/17 crop year as farmers switch more profitable crops. The total output is expected at around 8.0 million bales, according to US Department of Agriculture.
Cotton and textile are the mainstay of country’s exports and accounts for over 50 percent of overall exports. Shortfall in cotton production is likely to impact global prices. Cotton area is down around 15 percent this year.
In a meeting with country’s leading exporters, Sharif directed the Commerce Ministry to immediately prepare a proposal for the duty-free import of 5 million bale cotton bales. He promised short, medium and long-term relief to exporters in the wake of sluggish world market.
Energy shortages have multiplied miseries of textile makers and many factories were forced to close in past several years. Exporters lauded the decision of the government to import LNG to make up for the shortfall. The government has assured no load-shedding for the industrial sector despite power shortages.
Pakistan textile exporters are feeling the pinch of cotton shortfall since last year. Overall production in 2015/16 was 9.7 million bales, and the country imported more than 4 million bales to meet needs of the textile sector. Pakistan’s total cotton needs fluctuate between 15 million and 16 million bales.


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With just days before its close, 2017 has proven to be a startling year for those concerned about the security of their web identities. May through July of this year saw a massive data breach of servers held by consumer reporting giant Equifax, leading to the theft of identifying information on 145 million customers in the United States alone. Ride sharing app and transport company Uber came clean on a previously unreported 2016 hack in which driver license info for 600,000 of their own employees was stolen. Only days ago, security insiders revealed that data analytics company Alteryx had failed to secure its servers, leaving information on 120 million Americans ripe for the taking.
Given the sheer threat that identity theft proposes, creating apps that enable users to better secure privately held data on their own devices is an industry likely to boom next year in the wake of these and other high-profile hacks. Android users have a promising new solution in the form of Haven, an open source app that promises to turn Android phones into a veritable surveillance system to prevent not remote hacks, but data breaches caused by criminals gaining direct access to the phone.
Rather than being built around the most cutting-edge Android devices, the app is also suitable for budget models and older Android phones. The app harnesses the phone’s camera and audio recording features, along with more subtle features like the accelerometer, to help owners record and track criminals who attempt to tamper or breach the device in-hand.
Haven was developed by a partnership between Freedom Of The Press, The Guardian Project, and, perhaps most interestingly, Eric Snowden. Snowden, a former CIA employee who now resides via temporary asylum in Russia, is famous for leaking NSA and other agencies’ documents that opened up the esoteric world of mass surveillance. A controversial figure, Snowden’s connection to the project may still lend some credibility given his tech security and computer systems administration background.
While the app is promising, it does have a few issues that could hopefully be addressed in later updates. The system requires a constant internet connection in order to notify users of breaches in real time, which in turn can prove draining on the battery, especially for older devices. Likewise, the app will need some fine-tuning to help weed out the reporting of false positives. All told, while Haven is far from the ultimate security app, it is an innovative new direction for securing smartphones.